Tag: Drue Chrisman

Bengals sound ready for punter change from Kevin Huber to Drue Chrisman

A change could be in the works during the bye week.

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It seems obvious at this point the Cincinnati Bengals will make a change at punter during the bye this week.

Longtime veteran Kevin Huber has been off to one of the worst starts to his career over the 5-4 opening stretch for the team. That, after initially winning the job this past summer over Drue Chrisman.

Huber sits 30th in gross average punt yards and net average punt yards. He’s landed just nine inside the 20-yard line (24th). All are largely dramatic dips from his career averages.

Special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons told Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic that the unit needs to be better:

Translation: The team will make the evaluation this week and the likely change in time before practices start next week.

It could signal an unfortunate end to Huber’s time with the team given his incredible run. But as Simmons says, the unit has to do what it can to help the team, especially at 5-4 and 0-3 in the AFC North with a tough winter stretch in front of it.

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Bengals choose Kevin Huber for punter job, waive Drue Chrisman

The Bengals have made the big decision at punter.

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One of the only perplexing roster battles has ended before the 53-man cutdown deadline: The Cincinnati Bengals have decided Kevin Huber is the man for the job at punter.

The Bengals revealed the decision in the big wave of cuts on Tuesday before the 4 p.m. ET deadline, waiving Drue Chrisman in the process. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport first reported the news.

Neither route would have been too shocking for the Bengals here. Huber’s the long-time veteran setting franchise marks for games played and was solid last year. Chrisman was one of the best in Ohio State’s history and was with the team last year.

The only thing that really skewed the outlook despite similar summer performances this year was the fact the Bengals were rumored to be looking at selecting a punter in the draft before not doing so, then quickly re-signing Huber after the draft.

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Cordell Volson, Drue Chrisman appear to win Bengals starting jobs

Barring a shock, two fan favorites are about to start for the Bengals.

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It was fair to wonder if Cordell Volson sitting out of the Cincinnati Bengals preseason finale was the team just letting Jackson Carman work his way to an equal number of preseason reps in an even battle.

In hindsight, wondering that looks a little misguided. Carman had an up-and-down night against Los Angeles Rams backups in a setting where he probably should have dominated, which was in line with the rest of his preseason.

That means Volson, the fourth-round rookie, has probably locked up the left guard job.

“I see steady improvement,” head coach Zac Taylor said. “He’s consistent. We know what we’re getting out of him. It’s real important to him. Again, we’ve seen steady improvement from him over the course of training camp.”

And over at punter, the only other scrap for a starting job, Drue Chrisman predictably took the lead Saturday night over the veteran Kevin Huber. Both held well on extra-point tries, while Huber had two fair-catches inside the 20-yard line. Chrisman had one, plus a wicked 65-yard punt that hit inside the five and bounced for a touchback.

The Bengals were rumored to be in on punters during the draft before not selecting one, then quickly re-signed Huber. It would appear like Volson, Chrisman has seized the moment and secured himself a full-time gig.

“I think both of us put enough on tape to where, whatever happens here, one of us are most likely getting a call in the next couple days to have a chance to compete somewhere else, if not a starting job,” Chrisman said. “I think both of us would feel pretty confident about that.”

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Bengals punter Drue Chrisman taking ground in battle with Kevin Huber

Drue Chrisman is starting to make some noise in the punter competition.

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One of the most notable battles at Cincinnati Bengals training camp has started to unfold at the punter position between veteran Kevin Huber and youngster Drue Chrisman.

The Bengals brought back Huber late in the process this offseason after an NFL draft that featured other teams thinking the team might want to select a punter as early as the fourth round.

That has left the door wide open for Chrisman to come in and make a serious competition of the battle, something Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com noted that he indeed did at the team’s most recent practice:

“There weren’t a lot of booming punts, but first-year challenger Drue Chrisman outkicked veteran incumbent veteran Kevin Huber on Tuesday. Chrisman showed his improvement in directional punting and had some decent hang times while Huber didn’t get much length at all …”

Chrisman, an Ohio State product, was with the team at times last year and this offseason, special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons said the most important thing for him will be how he performs during team activities.

So far, Chrisman again has the individual work down. Should that translate to team activities and the preseason, he might just be the only upset surprise to win a job on the roster by final cuts.

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Kevin Huber floated as Bengals cut candidate during training camp

The punter position might have one of the most notable roster battles at Bengals training camp.

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The Cincinnati Bengals don’t have a ton of notable training camp battles or cut candidates going into 2022 thanks to a strong surge of continuity across the roster and coaching staff after a Super Bowl run.

But there is a notable battle to watch on special teams.

At punter, specifically. The Bengals brought back long-time veteran Kevin Huber late in the process and he’ll spar with the undrafted Drue Chrisman from 2021.

ESPN’s Ben Baby noted Huber is the one major cut candidate to watch this summer:

“This might be the first time in a few years where a veteran cut candidate doesn’t necessarily jump out. But Huber, the 14-year veteran, enters this training camp facing a little competition in Drue Chrisman, a 2021 Ohio State graduate who has bounced on and off Cincinnati’s practice squad as undrafted free agent. Huber needs one more appearance to set the franchise record for most games. He has played in 207 games, the same as cornerback Ken Riley (1969-1983).”

Chrisman would undoubtedly appear to have a big shot at swiping the job and potentially locking it down for a long time.

During the draft this year, other teams thought the Bengals were in on punters as early as the fourth round. That not only made sense given Huber’s age and performance, but a year after finding major success in drafting kicker Evan McPherson relatively early. Other teams pounced, the Bengals didn’t draft a punter and then brought Huber back.

As we dial in on roster battles this summer, special teams will certainly be under the microscope.

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Bengals update Drue Chrisman, Cal Adomitis roster battles

An update on Bengals special teams roster battles.

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Coming off the Super Bowl, the Cincinnati Bengals won’t have many notable roster battles this summer compared to most other teams.

But they will have some interesting showdowns on special teams.

There, second-year punter Drue Chrisman will challenge Kevin Huber and undrafted Cal Adomitis will challenge long-snapper Clark Harris.

Special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons recently talked about the challenges both guys face.

“Drue has to take what he does in individuals and carry it over to the work in team,” Simmons said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “It’s not what he does with me. The most important thing for him is doing it when the team is together.”

Chrisman had some hype from fans last year because he came from Ohio State. But the Bengals appeared to flirt with the idea of drafting a punter before bringing Huber back late in the process.

Adomitis was the most-hyped undrafted free agent for the Bengals. But Harris seems like a shoo-in to serve another season there, especially with the rookie still needing to learn some of the finer things about the NFL game.

“There’s more to being an NFL long snapper than just throwing it back there straight and looking pretty,” Simmons said. “You’ve got to get down and block people. It’s a greasy, grimy position to play and no one knows you until you screw up. You better do the job. The less notoriety the better.”

Even if both guys don’t end up making the final 53, it’s clear they’re in the conversation and could be part of the plan in upcoming years.

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Cincinnati Bengals sign former Ohio State punter Drue Chrisman

The Cincinnati Bengals see former Ohio State punter Drue Chrisman in their future plans.

The Cincinnati Bengals are busy prepping for the Super Bowl, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t thinking about the future. The team announced the signing of former Ohio State punter Drue Chrisman to a futures contract on Monday.

The Cincinnati native was not drafted but was signed as an undrafted free agent and spent parts of the 2021 season on the Bengal’s practice squad. Unfortunately for Chrisman, he won’t be added to the roster until February 14, the day after the Super Bowl. Should Cincinnati bring home a championship, Chrisman should still be in line for some bling as practice team players are usually awarded a ring as well.

Chrisman wasn’t only a great punter at Ohio State, he was also a fan favorite. From bottle flipping prowess to proposing to his girlfriend at the 2019 Spring Game in Ohio Stadium, Chrisman won the hearts of Buckeye fans everywhere. The second-year pro will hope to make his dreams come true by making an impression at camp in the summer.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion.

Panthers work out P Drue Chrisman, LS Turner Bernard

The Panthers have already had a dizzying time trying to pin down a kicker. Are they about to go through another ride in trying to find a punter?

The Carolina Panthers just recently hopped off a carousel of kickers, having seemingly settled in with Zane Gonzalez after going through a dizzying ride at the position. But have they tried the Tilt-A-Whirl?

A new slice of excitement, or despair, may now be awaiting them with the other spot that requires a leg. As noted by the league on Monday, the Panthers have worked out punter Drue Chrisman.

Chrisman was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cincinnati Bengals back in May. The Ohio State University product, who averaged 44.6 yards per punt on his 73 collegiate tries, has experienced a bit of back-and-forth with the hometown team, which just ended with his release on Oct. 12.

This news comes, of course, less than a week after the Panthers placed Joseph Charlton on the injured reserve. The newly-signed Ryan Winslow, who pinned three of his six punts inside the 20-yard line, took over the duties on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

Carolina, as also indicated, worked out long snapper Turner Bernard as well. Bernard, another undrafted free agent, was most recently with Minnesota.

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Bengals anticipate big workload for rookie punter Drue Chrisman this summer

Drue Chrisman could have a big role at Cincinnati Bengals training camp.

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Cincinnati Bengals special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons has been full of interesting little nuggets this week coming out of practices.

Take, for example, his comment about who’s leading the charge in the battle to return punts.

Or perhaps even more interesting is Simmons revealing that rookie punter Drue Chrisman could get more work than expected this summer.

Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com explained why:

“Not just because he thinks he’s got a big leg and has talent, but he also felt a big reason Kevin Huber had a career year in his 12th season last year is because he didn’t have spring practices or preseason games to get his leg tired. So Simmons is going to dial him back again.”

Call it a situation that could greatly benefit both parties. For the Bengals, it’s potentially a way to keep Kevin Huber fresh and playing just like he did last year.

And for the rookie, it’s a chance to put a lot of stuff on film for other teams to see. Maybe he doesn’t leave the Bengals after roster cutdowns, but building up the resume could help him land as a starter somewhere in the future.

While the punter situation is far from the most important thing to watch at training camp, this is a fun little wrinkle with long-term ramifications to keep in mind.

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Ohio State punter Drue Chrisman signs with Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals have signed former Ohio State Buckeyes punter Drue Chrisman.

The 2021 NFL draft is over, but that doesn’t mean the excitement of former college stars entering the NFL has ended. We are doing our best to cover the fast and furious undrafted free agency period and another Buckeye has been snatched up.

Former high school Army All-American and Ohio State football punter Drue Chrisman is staying in Ohio as the Cincinnati Bengals have snatched him up. This is the best fit for Chrisman, after all he is from La Salle High School in Cincinnati.

Chrisman was a very solid punter, but the odds are stacked against him to make a lasting impact in the NFL as there are so few jobs available. We wish Chrisman good luck!